JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Yard & Warehouse Operative
Responsible to: General Manager - Operations
Purpose:
To assist in the efficient, safe, and accurate day-to-day running of the timber yard, ensuring the smooth handling, storage, and distribution of timber, sheet materials, and related building products. This semi-skilled role balances core manual labouring and yard operations with product grading, machinery operation, stock control, and dedicated trade and public customer service.
This job description provides a general overview of the role. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Goods Handling & Logistics
- Loading & Unloading: Safely load and unload timber and other building materials from delivery vehicles and hauliers, utilising forklift trucks, side loaders, and approved manual handling techniques.
- Stock Storage & Integrity: Move, stack, and organise stock within the yard and warehouse sheds. Ensure all materials are stored correctly and safely to prevent damage, minimise waste, and maintain stock integrity.
- Sorting & Grading: Inspect, sort, and grade timber and building materials according to quality, species, size, and type to ensure high standards of product control.
2. Warehouse, Picking & Inventory Duties
- Order Preparation: Assist with precise order picking, preparation, packaging, and accurate labelling for customer collection or company vehicle delivery.
- Stock Control: Conduct routine stock checks, monitor inventory levels, and maintain accurate records. Actively report low stock levels, damaged goods, or inventory variances to management.
- Technology Utilisation: Utilise handheld terminals (HHT), digital scanners, or electronic inventory systems where required to log stock movements and track custom orders.
3. Customer Service & Commercial Support
- Customer Assistance: Greet and assist trade and retail customers with their enquiries, locate specific stock across the yard and building supply sections and safely load products into their vehicles.
- Product Guidance: Provide helpful, professional, and knowledgeable advice to customers regarding timber products, treatments, and applications and building supplies.
- Trade Counters: Support the Trade Counters by accurately noting customer requirements, taking orders and passing leads to the counter team.
4. Machinery & Tool Operation
- Timber Processing: Subject to experience and training, safely operate cutting, cross-cut sawing, or processing equipment to prepare timber to exact customer specifications.
- Mechanical Handling: Competently and efficiently operate forklift trucks and other mechanical handling equipment in line with safety certifications.
- Site Branding & Improvement Support: Assist management and colleagues with physical site updates, including the arrangement of new stock layouts, moving racking, or installing updated company signage and point-of-sale displays as required during company transition phases.
5. Yard Maintenance, Labouring & Safety
- Health & Safety Adherence: Maintain an uncompromisingly safe working environment for staff and visitors by strictly adhering to company health and safety regulations, COSHH, and manual handling procedures.
- Site Housekeeping: Perform general site and yard clean-up, including sweeping, clearing debris, and ensuring all walkways, fire exits, and vehicle lanes remain entirely unobstructed.
- Maintenance & Labouring: Conduct basic maintenance and daily pre-use checks on tools, saws, and mechanical equipment. Assist tradespeople, colleagues, or management with manual digging, lifting, or extra site tasks as needed to support the business.
Skills, Qualifications, and Attributes
Essential:
- Physical Capability: High level of physical fitness with the capability to perform rigorous manual handling tasks and heavy lifting of timber products safely.
- Adaptability: Full willingness and ability to work outdoors in all British weather conditions.
- Core Skills: Solid basic numeracy and literacy skills for precise stock counting, measurements, and order picking.
- Teamwork & Focus: Excellent communication skills, a strong work ethic, and a reliable, collaborative approach to working within a close-knit team.
Desirable:
- Previous experience working within a timber merchant, independent builders' merchant, or building supplies warehouse.
- Valid forklift truck driving licence (Counterbalance and/or Side-loader).
- Practical experience operating commercial cutting, cross-cut sawing, or woodworking equipment.
- Proven customer service or trade-counter sales experience.
- Existing knowledge of timber products, grading, and their structural uses.
Key Personal Attributes:
- Punctual, dependable, and highly reliable.
- Hardworking, enthusiastic, and able to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
- Strong attention to detail, particularly regarding stock measurements, grading, and order accuracy.
- Inherently safety-conscious regarding personal conduct and the protection of colleagues and customers.
Performance Standards & Framework
To ensure maximum operational efficiency, all duties and performance standards must comply with:-with:
- Current Company Health & Safety Procedures
- Internal Standards of Work and Accuracy & Customer Care Expectations
- A proactive willingness to undertake continuous professional development and operational training on both an individual and company basis.
This document serves as a non-prescriptive benchmark guide to demonstrate the flexible, multi-task operational levels required of a semi-skilled team member at Total Timber (Formby) Ltd.
Pay: £25,420.00-£30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
